Men Taking Over Reforming Society (M.E.N.T.O.R.S., Inc.)

M.E.N.T.O.R.S., Inc. is on a mission to provide a space of refuge for the Black community in South Los Angeles. By facilitating support services for Black parents, M.E.N.T.O.R.S. creates social networks that are healthy, safe, and informative havens of growth. Peers and experts  work together to promote better outcomes for both parents and their babies.

One of the many things that sets Luna and Sol Yoga apart from other yoga studios is an emphasis on community which extends beyond the physical practice of yoga, to honor the roots of yogic tradition. Luna and Sol Yoga embodies the meaning of “oran a azu nwa (it takes a village)” by providing vital support to expectant mothers and their families.

THE BIG PAUSE: The Collective Rest for Collective Power

Calling all Black/African American Breast/Chest Feeding Families:

Click to access the Survey Form

"The only way that these issues will stay in the public domain, the only way we'll advance equality and justice and liberation, is if philanthropy keeps the window open." - Kaci Patterson  (AAIMM Steering Committee Member)

The statistics are alarming: 45% of children in California live in low-income households. Of that group of children, 57% are Black and 61% are Latino. Youth from low-income neighborhoods are 20% more likely to end up in prison and 61% of the incarcerated population are Black or Latino. Youth With a Purpose (YWAP) has made it its mission to weaken the school to prison pipeline and improve outcomes for low-income youth. And their plan starts at the very beginning: before birth.

(Los Angeles County, CA) “It takes a village to raise a child,” the African proverb states, and activation of that village begins before birth. In an effort to support healthy and joyous births for Black moms, families, and babies, the African American Infant and Maternal Mortality Prevention Initiative (AAIMM) has created a Tips to Activate Your Village Guide full of useful information and resources for each of the trimesters comprising the prenatal period and the first three months after the baby is born (the “fourth trimester”). The guide is now available for free to download from its website, blackinfantsandfamilies.org. 

San Fernando & Santa Clarita Valleys COVID-19 Panel: A Vaccine Conversation For African American Families
Held Wednesday, February 17th, 2021 from 10am-12pm

During this event we discussed concerns and explored options related to the COVID-19 vaccine with a panel of local medical and legal experts. It was an opportunity for our community to ask questions in a safe space. Panelists included:

•         Valley Presbyterian Hospital

•         General Counsel, Tamala Choma Esq.

•         Director of Women’s Services, Marcia Lynch, RN, MSN

•         Los Angeles County Department of Public Health – Tina Franco, MPH, Health Educator

•         September Williams, MD, Physician-Writer & Bioethicist

•         Kaiser Permanente – Sharon K. Okonkwo-Holmes, MD. Family Physician and Physician Lead for the Equity, Inclusion, and Diversity Council

Panel discussion was moderated by Aqueelah Russell from Northeast Valley WIC

View the event recap below: 

Each woman’s journey toward motherhood is unique and precious. In our work to end Black maternal and infant deaths in Los Angeles County, we sought to connect on an emotional level with the families that we are fighting to protect. We asked Black women to share their pregnancy and birthing journeys with us, as well as their hopes and dreams for their babies. We wanted to show the connection between maternal and infant health, which is a universal experience for all birthing persons and their babies. 

Those responses were turned into journal entries which became a video series of intimate messages and images from mother to baby called, “Dear Baby, When I Love Me, I Love You.” Join us in the fight to end Black maternal and Infant deaths in Los Angeles County. Take the “We Are The Village” pledge and follow us on social media so that you can share these videos with your followers.


Watch the first Journal entry below!

Watch the second Journal entry: 

Watch the third Journal entry: 

Be the Village. Activate the Village. 

The LA County Department of Public Health and First 5 LA, in partnership with the LA County African American Infant and Maternal Mortality Initiative is holding a virtual briefing to kick off Los Angeles County’s Black Maternal Health Week – which was officially recognized by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors in March -- and elevate awareness about Black infant and maternal mortality and emerging local solutions. The goal of the week is to raise awareness about the issue, and the efforts of public health and community leaders across the County to oppose racism and discrimination at its root and support healthy and joyous births for Black families.

At the virtual event, attendees will hear from a panel of experts about the racism Black mothers face that leads to health disparities and work across the county being done to make a difference. Panelists include:

• Deborah Allen, Deputy Director, Los Angeles County Department of Public Health
• Melissa Franklin, CEO of Growth Mindset Communications
• Raena Granberry, Perinatal Equity Initiative Coordinator, Dept. of Public Health
• Adjoa Jones, Founding Leader of African-American Infant and Maternal Mortality Community Action Team at L.A. County Department of Health Services Whole Person Care
• Michelle Sanders, AAIMM Doula Program Coordinator, Dept. of Public Health
• Brandi Sims, Health Systems Program Officer, First 5 LA
• Yolonda Roger Jones, Coordinator of Black Infant Health Program; Dept. of Public Health
• Dana Sherrod, Birth Equity & Racial Justice Manager for Cherished Futures for Black Moms and Babies, Public Health Alliance